Local government units (LGUs) in Western Visayas have been advised to prepare their temporary treatment and monitoring facilities (TTMFs) amid the increasing cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) in the region.
In an interview Friday, Dr. Bea Camille Natalaray, medical officer III of the Department of Health Western Visayas Center for Health Development (DOH WV CHD), said most of the admitted cases are manifesting mild symptoms, thus LGUs should help decongest hospitals by managing them in TTMFs.
Natalaray said TTMFs need to have medical doctors and nurses who will be in charge of the facilities.
“In just two weeks, cases are fast increasing. This January, we average at 504 cases per day, compared with December 2021 when we (had) 26 cases per day. We have an abrupt increase in cases. The transmission and positivity rate is high in the provinces,” she said.
As of January 19, the region recorded 10, 826 active cases – 52.12 percent are asymptomatic, 42.98 percent are mild and 4.9 percent are moderate, severe, and critical.
Natalaray said several factors have caused the surge, such as the decrease in the compliance with minimum public health standards (MPHS); mass gatherings during the holidays; convergence of people in enclosed places and close-contact settings; and the presence of the Delta, Omicron, Alpha, and Beta variants.
The reduction of cases, she said, would depend on the implementation of the MPHS by LGUs and the prevent, detect, isolate, treat, and re-integrate strategy, particularly the isolation of symptomatic cases.
“With the rising cases, it is important that we go back to our minimum public health standards. For our workplaces, we emphasize that they have to be well-ventilated and practice safe physical distancing since (most) of our cases are in workplaces,” Natalaray said.
She reiterated the importance of immediate isolation for those who experience symptoms, along with getting tested and informing their close contacts to undergo quarantine.
Nonetheless, she said, the health care utilization rate of Western Visayas is still at low risk, although Aklan and Iloilo City are at moderate risk.
Currently, 1,244 out of 2,240 hospital beds dedicated to Covid-19 patients are occupied.
“But looking at our hospital, (patients) mostly are having mild and moderate symptoms. Two percent of our admissions are actually critical cases,” she said.
She added that public hospitals should allocate at least 50 percent of their beds to Covid-19 patients, and private hospitals, 30 percent of their bed capacity.
In case of home quarantine, some doctors allow telemedicine consultations.
Natalaray added that vaccination is important to prevent severe symptoms or getting hospitalized.
“Since we have (a) high vaccination rate in Western Visayas, we have less cases of severe and critical symptoms compared with previous months, especially during the time (of the) Delta (variant) in August and September when we (had) more deaths,” she added.
As of January 20, about 82.22 percent of the target eligible population based on 2021 data, which is equivalent to 4, 887,618, have received at least one dose of Covid-19 vaccine; 72.21 percent or 4,084,827 are fully vaccinated; and 3.18 percent or 177, 237 have been administered booster shots. (PNA)
Source: Philippines News Agency